The Next Frontier in Mental Health: Moving Science to Patients

A Symposium to prioritize the challenges and create an agenda for change

TORONTO, April 11, 2012 /CNW/ - The Graham Boeckh Foundation is pleased to present The Next Frontier in Mental Health: From Research to Patients, a first of its kind symposium bringing together world class scientists and practitioners in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom to discuss and provide key insights on the translation of research into improved patient care and how we can move forward towards greatly improving community mental health practice in this country.

"When it comes to mental health, we must put patients first and treat them with best practices, dignity and respect while engaging them in healthcare decisions," says J. Anthony Boeckh, Graham Boeckh Foundation. "The goal of the Symposium is to discuss how best to put research into practice to achieve greatly improved patient outcomes. Mental health impacts everyone, directly or indirectly, at all stages of life. Providing patients and their families with the best possible treatment in a timely manner must be the priority. We need a commitment from all stakeholders - scientists, universities, mental health care practitioners, funders, and government agencies."

To strengthen the public health impact of mental health spending, a far greater portion needs to be devoted to establishing the evidence necessary to support change in how care is delivered. "Properly applying existing knowledge, for example, can have a huge impact, and will be the focus of this year's Symposium," says Boeckh.

What:	The Next Frontier in Mental Health: From Research to Patients Mental Health Symposium No cost to participate
When:	Tuesday, April 24, 2012 8:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Where:	MaRS Discovery District, 101 College Street, Suite 100, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7
Who:	J. Anthony Boeckh & Ian Boeckh Graham Boeckh Foundation
	**One-on-one media interviews can be arranged in advance of the Symposium**
	The Next Frontier in Mental Health Symposium speakers list and programme can be found online at http://www.grahamboeckhfoundation.org/english/Documents/Next_Frontier_in%20Mental_Health_2012_Program.pdf

Mental health affects day-to-day living and has the ability to influence how we feel, perceive, think, communicate and understand.ⁱ Without good mental health, people can be limited in their ability to realize their full potential or actively participate in everyday life.ⁱ

Current services to support mental health are comprised of a mix of health, social, vocational, recreational, volunteer, occupational therapy, and educational services, as well as housing and income support.ⁱⁱ

According to Boeckh, "These services, all too often, are not co-ordinated and delivered effectively.  It is a national scandal that far too many unwell people are treated poorly or not at all, end up on the streets or in prison."

About the Symposium

This Symposium is the follow-up to a symposium held in Montreal last May with the Gairdner Foundation: "Frontiers in Mental Health," where distinguished researchers from around the world gathered to advance our understanding of a range of mental illnesses in light of recent discoveries.

As the title suggests, the 2012 Symposium will move the discussion further along to treatment, and will look at examples of programs that address first episode and early detection, with a particular focus on schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. There will also be a section on children and youth mental health.

Partners include: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research-Institute of Neurosciences; Mental Health and Addiction; Douglas Mental Health University Institute; CHU Sainte-Justine; University of Toronto, Department of Psychiatry; McGill University; Université de Montréal; Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (formerly NARSAD); Mental Health Commission of Canada; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; and, The Psychology Foundation of Canada.

Sponsors include: Bell; Dean's Knight; Power Corp.; and, the RBC Foundation.

People interested in registering in advance to attend this event should visit www.grahamboeckhfoundation.org

About the Graham Boeckh Foundation

The Graham Boeckh Foundation (GBF) is a private foundation created by J. Anthony Boeckh and his family to fund initiatives in the area of mental health.

Note to the Editor

• The World Health Organization (WHO) believes mental health is an integral and essential component of health and defines health as "A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."ⁱⁱⁱ
• The WHO predicts that by 2020 depression alone will be the second leading cause of illness and disability after heart disease.^iv

REFERENCES

ⁱ Health Canada. Healthy Living: Mental Health. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/mental/index-eng.php. Accessed March 2012.
ⁱⁱ Public Health Agency of Canada. Mental Health Services System. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/mh-sm/services-eng.php.  Accessed March 2012.
ⁱⁱⁱ World Health Organization. Mental Health: strengthening our Response Key Facts. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs220/en/. Accessed March 2012.
^iv Canadian Collaborative Mental Health Initiative.  http://www.msss.gouv.qc.ca/sujets/prob_sante/sante_mentale/index.php?comprendre_et_prevenir_en.  Accessed March 2012.

 

TO REGISTER AS MEDIA TO ATTEND THE SYMPOSIUM AND/OR TO SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITY PLEASE CONTACT:
Daniela Minicucci
NATIONAL Public Relations
416-848-1462
[email protected]